Bet

Bet

Bet

Bet

Paul Lambert is calling for his Aston Villa side to continue picking up points as he attempts to steer them clear of the relegation battle in which they have been embroiled since the start of the season.

A draw against Everton last weekend could be a starting point for Aston Villa, with the former Norwich boss believing they need to win around half of their remaining fixtures to stay in the top flight of English football.

"There’s 13 cup finals for us to play and we are going to have to win five or six,” Lambert told reporters. “The players know themselves, we’ve spoken about it and they know exactly what they’ve got to do. There is no grey area but the way they’re playing they can do it.

“We haven’t even discussed the possibility of relegation. It’s a defeatist attitude and it would be different if there was only three games to go. You’d think: ‘We are definitely in this.’ But if you do that, it brings negativity and there’s 13 games left to go.”

Despite the overall performance of the team, Christian Benteke has proven to be a shining light for Aston Villa, which has helped his manager justify leaving the experienced Darren Bent on the sidelines.

“I think he’s been a revelation in the Premier League and when you look at the market you’ve got to be pretty rich to buy him. If anybody tried they’d have to have a right few quid to get him. He’s not just going to walk out of here for the value he came for, that’s for sure.

“He’s only 22 and he’s got years and years ahead of him. He’s not at his peak, but what he’s done for me and for the club is fantastic and he’s already a cult hero.”